OncologySTAT.com: Changing the traditional revenue model

According to today's article in the New York Times, Reed Elsevier is trying a new system that will deliver ad-supported content free to subscribers.  OncologySTAT.com asks oncologists to register their personal information and in exchange, provides these professionals with immediate free access to the latest in cancer-related content. Executives hope that the site's users would be an attractive target for advertisers, opening the possibility of extending this idea to future sites specializing in other health-related topics.

This idea could potentially save subscribers thousands of dollars per year.  It would be interesting to see if other vendors will experiment with the same approach.